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Rabat – ‘King of Rai’ music Cheb Khaled has been convicted for stealing the song, Didi, one of his biggest hits, from another Algerian Rai music singer.
“Didi”, the 1993 hit is by far Cheb Khaled’s most famous song. It became popular throughout the Arab World and also in Asia, where it entered musical top charts in India and Pakistan, and in Europe, including France, Belgium and Spain.
The song was also used in a Bollywood film titled Shreeman Aashiq and was played during the inauguration ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
However, on Tuesday, April 7th, the song’s originality was called into question when a Paris Court convicted Cheb Khaled for stealing the song from another Algerian Rai singer called Cheb Rabah.
The court ordered Cheb Khaled to pay Cheb Rabah 100,000 euros as compensation for non-pecuniary damage and an additional 100,000 euros in compensation to his moral copyright law.
The court took into consideration that Rabah Zeradine, better known as Cheb Rabah, a composer, author and a Rai performer, lost a chance to gain significant reputation due to the song’s success, Jeune Afrique reported.
“This is a success that was based on a lie,” said Jean-Marie Guilloux, the plaintiff’s lawyer. Meanwhile, Cheb Khaled’s lawyer, Laurence Goldgrab announced his client’s intention to appeal the verdict.
